The invention relates to a system and method for influencing vehicle systems by taking relevant signal generators into account.
Various driver assistance systems are known from the state of the art which assist the driver in his driving task and which detect signal generators lying ahead, such as traffic lights or their light condition and take the latter into account when controlling the driver assistance systems.
For example, German Patent document DE 10 2008 010 968 A1 discloses a system for displaying information in a vehicle having an image detection unit for detecting the vehicle surroundings, an analyzing unit for analyzing the image data with respect to the presence of traffic signs or traffic devices, and a display unit for displaying information when at least one traffic sign or traffic device is detected. With respect to details, the system is characterized in that, as a function of the current or planned travel route, adapted information is displayed when different traffic signs or different traffic devices are detected for different travel route possibilities.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system and method for influencing vehicle systems in view of the recognition of relevant signal generators.
This and other objects are achieved by a system and method for influencing vehicle systems by taking relevant signal generators into account, particularly relevant signal generator condition signals, having a determination unit for identifying relevant signal generators and/or their signal generator condition signals and an output unit for generating an output signal to a vehicle system as a function of the result of the determination unit. The determination unit for the identification of relevant signal generators and/or relevant signal generator condition signals takes into account information concerning identified concealed signal generators.
The invention is based on the recognition that oftentimes traffic situations may occur in normal road operation in which one or more traffic lights are temporarily or even lastingly hidden. This may, for example, occur in the case of multilane roads when a large object, such as a truck, is situated between the own vehicle and the traffic light, so that the view of the traffic light is concealed. In the case of the above-described system known from the state of the art, such concealed traffic lights are not taken into account at all because they cannot be recognized by the camera.
According to the invention, a system and method for influencing vehicle systems while taking into account relevant signal generators, particularly relevant signal generator condition signals, having a determination unit for identifying relevant signal generators and/or their signal generator condition signals and an output unit for generating an output signal to a vehicle system as a function of the result of the determination unit are therefore provided, wherein the determination unit for the identification of relevant signal generators and/or relevant signal generator condition signals takes into account information concerning identified (temporarily and/or lastingly) concealed signal generators. In other words, when identifying the relevant signal generators, not only currently visible signal generators but also available information concerning currently concealed signal generators is taken into account.
This is necessary for avoiding a malfunction of the traffic-light-dependent functions or vehicle systems.
When information concerning at least one identified concealed signal generator is available to the determination unit, the latter is equipped in an advantageous embodiment in order to determine whether the concealed signal generator is or could be a relevant concealed signal generator. In the simplest form, this determination can take place such that the determination unit is equipped for, in the case of available information concerning an identified concealed signal generator, identifying a concealed signal generator as relevant if none of the not concealed identified signal generators can be identified as being relevant.
With respect to identifying relevant signal generators and/or their signal generator condition signals, the determination unit can advantageously be equipped, for the identification of relevant signal generators and/or their signal generator condition signals, particularly relevant not concealed signal generators and/or their signal generator condition signals, while taking into account all known signal generators, to carry out at least one, preferably at least two or all of the following steps:                Identifying a signal-generator-relevant traffic situation lying ahead;                    assigning the signal generators relevant to a, or this, signal-generator-relevant traffic situation to this traffic situation;                        identifying of signal generator groups pertaining to this traffic situation;                    assigning to an identified signal generator group signal generators recognized as relevant to this traffic situation;                        assigning the signal generator groups to conceivable driving maneuvers in the case of this traffic situation;        determining the desired or assumed driving maneuver of the motor vehicle in the case of this traffic situation; and/or        determining the signal generator group relevant to the driving maneuver of the motor vehicle and/or the signal generator condition signals relevant to the driving maneuver of the motor vehicle while taking into account the desired or assumed driving maneuver of the motor vehicle.        
A concrete approach to identifying relevant signal generators is described in the later description of the figures.
In order to be able to identify concealed signal generators at all, the determination unit (or an investigating unit placed outside the determination unit) may be designed for detecting and correspondingly analyzing data relevant in view of the identification of concealed signal generators.
Thus, in a particularly advantageous further development of the invention, concealed signal generators can be identified by the collection and analysis of relevant image data of a camera system monitoring the vehicle surroundings. With respect to details, a concealed signal generator can, for example, be identified when, in the case of a known position of the signal generator, no signal generator can be recognized from the image data of a camera in the region of the known position of the signal generator.
Basically, the position of unconcealed signal generators can most easily be determined by analyzing the image data of a camera surround detection system. When a signal generator is recognized by way of the image data of the camera, the position of the signal generator can very easily be determined while taking into account the alignment of the camera and the position of the vehicle. As an alternative or in addition, the position of a signal generator can also be determined or made plausible from map data, signal generator position statistical data and/or from Car-to-X data transmitted from outside the vehicle. Thus, for example, buy use of a memory unit, a statistic can be established from available information, as to the height and the distance from the road at which the signal generators are usually installed in the current country and/or in a community or city. This statistic can also be implemented as a function of speed and/or road classifications (residential urban, rural, highway, etc.) of the participating road segments.
However, it is problematic when at first a signal generator or its position (or its relative position) could be determined but later the signal generator can no longer be recognized or made plausible from the image data of the camera. The reason for the above may be that the own motor vehicle has moved along and, as a result of the continued travel, an object is situated between the vehicle and the signal generator, or that, although the own motor vehicle has stopped (or continues to drive), a moved object has moved between the motor vehicle and the signal generator.
In order to be able to now ensure that, for the identification of a concealed signal generator, the previously determined position of the signal generator will be used as the further basis, for determining the position or for maintaining the monitoring of the correct region, in which the signal generator should be visible in the camera image, a position determined at least once has to be continuously monitored during the approach operation to this signal generator. Advantageously, for example, for determining the position of an at first recognized signal generator or for maintaining the monitoring of the correct region, in which the signal generator would have to be visible in the camera image, a position determined at least once during the approach operation to this signal generator can to be monitored by monitoring the position of the signal generator relative to the motor vehicle. In this case, the relative position of the signal generator can be monitored as a function of known vehicle parameters, particularly as a function of known parameters influencing the position of the motor vehicle relative to the signal generator, more particularly as a function of the vehicle speed, the steering angle and/or the yaw rate of the vehicle. Therefore, when at first a signal generator lying ahead and its position is recognized at least once, by use of known vehicle parameters, such as the own speed, the steering angle and/or the yaw rate, the position of the signal generator relative to the motor vehicle is predicted, and the image data of the camera oriented to this region are analyzed as to whether the signal generator is visible.
If now, during the course of the determination method for identifying relevant signal generators, no unconcealed traffic light is classified as being relevant and, in addition, at least one concealed traffic light is identified, it can be assumed that at least one of the concealed traffic lights is relevant or could be relevant to the driving maneuver of the own vehicle. Since, because of the concealment of the signal generator, no qualified statement can be made concerning the current condition of the concealed signal generator (and therefore also—if required—no anticipatory statement concerning the condition of the signal generator), the output unit is advantageously designed for, in the case of an identified relevant concealed signal generator, generating a corresponding output signal, in the case of an identified relevant concealed signal generator, so that the vehicle system taking into account the condition of a signal generator receives a corresponding indication that, in the current condition, no qualified statement can be made concerning the condition of the relevant (concealed) signal generator.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.